Mahony & Sons (UBC)

I'm not really sure where to begin with this place.  I suppose that's because my feelings about it are so mixed.  There are things I love about it and things I really don't.  Easily the classiest watering hole out at UBC, Mahony & Sons is an Irish bar that beats you over the head with its Irishness.  Then it starts singing Danny Boy.  Now, don't get me wrong, I get that being overtly Celtic is part of the Irish pub charm.  Normally, it's actually something I really like about Irish places.  However here, it just seems... forced.  Maybe it's the fact that the word "mahone" loosely translates as "my butt" and that's me being polite.

I'm being too harsh, it's not a bad place at all.  In fact, I know from experience, it's a great place to go with large groups.  It's a really big bar, and is quite happy to cater to rowdy crowds.  (I had a graduation party here some years back).  However, this place's real draw is that it's one of the city's larger, lesser-known patios.  Had dinner and a couple of drinks in the sunset a few days ago.  Absolutely gorgeous.  With patio space at a premium in this town, I appreciate knowing a bar where I can easily get on the deck.

The tap list is respectable, although nothing to get excited over.  It's expensive, though.  After buying a drink, or two, you realize that this probably isn't a good place to settle in for a long session.  The food is delicious, but again, it just seems to cost a little bit more than it's worth.  I can't help, but get the impression that Mahony &  Sons is trying to be more upmarket than it really is.

Looking this over, it's coming out as a much more negative write up than I'd intended.  Really, it's a minor complaint, but I think if everything on the menu were reduced in price by a dollar, I'd feel a lot better about it.  It's an expensive city, every penny counts.  Still, if you're out in UBC, you could do a whole lot worse.  It's the only place to drink on campus that isn't proudly proclaiming it's status as a student bar.  If, like me, your undergrad days are well behind you, you'll know that is most decidedly a good thing.

Note: I haven't been to the Mahony & Sons downtown by the convention centre, so I have no idea if the two are comparable.

Mahony & Sons